Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Energy News Digest for December 7, 2010

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All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

US Supreme Court Takes Global Warming Case That Targets Power Companies (Christian Science Monitor)

Washington State Business Group Wants to Repeal 2008 Climate Legislation (Publicola)

Port Angeles City Council Upholds Nippon’s Biomass Power Plant Shoreline Permit (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Indiana - E-Mail Scandal Topples Duke Energy’s James Turner - Quits over e-mails to regulator (Indianapolis Star, IN)

Montana Senator Urges Long-Term Contract Between Columbia Falls Aluminum & Bonneville Power Administration (The Missoulian, MT)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         US Supreme Court Takes Global Warming Case That Targets Power Companies
·         Portland General Electric Plan to Close Coal-Fired Boardman Power Plant by 2020 Could Set National Precedent
·         Montana Senator Urges Long-Term Contract Between Columbia Falls Aluminum & Bonneville Power Administration
·         Oregon - Eugene Water & Electric Board Faces Power Struggles
·         Monday Power Outage in San Juan Islands
·         Montana - City of Great Falls Takes Steps to Unplug Electric City Power
·         City of Seattle Had No Inspection Records Before Dog’s Electrocution
·         Op/Ed - We’re Not Ready to Absorb Electric Cars’ Shock to the Grid
·         Energy Transmission - Money & Power: What’s Happening in the Back 40
·         Indiana - E-Mail Scandal Topples Duke Energy’s James Turner
·         Los Angeles’ Green Strategy Could Come With Electricity Rate Increases
·         Report Urges More Government Support for Nuclear Energy
·         A Crystal Ball for Electricity - Major factors dominating the national electricity market are the recession…and the low price of natural gas
·         Boat Strike Likely Killed Badly Injured Puget Sound Whale
·         Another 30 Percent Cut Recommended in Columbia Sturgeon Harvest
·         Seattle’s Duwamish River: Should the Cleanup Make Fish Safe to Eat Regularly?
·         Editorial - We Need Hatcheries; Until There Is a Better Alternative
·         California ‘Salmon Summit’ over Decimated Species
·         World Is Running Out of Places to Catch Wild Fish, Study Finds
·         USDA to Provide $30 Million for Sage Grouse Protection
·         Budget Cuts Threaten Commission Overseeing Columbia River Gorge
·         Port Angeles City Council Upholds Nippon’s Biomass Power Plant Shoreline Permit
·         Foresters Say There’s Enough Biomass to Run Port Angeles Facility
·         Alaska - New Wood Energy Project Keeps Tok School Warm
·         Colorado - Local Groups to Study Feasibility of Biomass
·         Snohomish PUD’s Tidal Energy Tests the Waters
·         California - Wind Turbines to be Upgraded in Altamont Pass to Protect Birds
·         Connecticut Residents See Massachusetts Wind Power Up Close
·         Wind Power Represented 40% of All New US Electric Generation Capacity
·         Avista Engineer Says Flat-Screen TVs Can Affect Electric Bill
·         Weatherproof Those Windows to Keep Cold Out, Bills Down
·         Washington State Business Group Wants to Repeal 2008 Climate Legislation
·         Climate Change Worsens Alaskan Forest Fires
·         North Dakota Wants Minnesota Lawmakers to Repeal Carbon Regulations
·         Farmers’ Carbon Credit Programs Fail Without Climate Bill
·         Carbon Dioxide Storage Facilities Required to Report Greenhouse Gases
·         Tumwater Recycler May Stop Taking Crushed Glass
·         Senators Push for Wi-Fi in All Federal Buildings - $15 million to offer Wi-Fi in 9,000 buildings
·         Tumblr: Massive Outage Takes Down Blogging Site
·         Fear to Feed Google Rankings? US Arrests Online Seller Who Scared Customers
·         FCC Net Neutrality Proposal Opens Door for Prioritization & Higher Fees for Consumers
·         Why No One’s Happy With the FCC’s Net Neutrality
·         Google Opens E-Book Store in Challenge to Amazon
·         Gregoire to Call Special Legislative Session to Cut Budget
·         Power of Washington State’s Attorney General to be Debated
·         Wash. State Agency Lobbyists in Republican Crosshairs
·         Pridemore to Chair Washington State Senate Committee
·         Vancouver City Council Briefed on Lobbying Agenda
·         Kilmer Named Vice Chairman of Washington State Senate Ways & Means Committee
·         Flood Watch in Effect for Skokomish River
·         Mason County Commission Adopts 2011 Budget on 2-1 Vote
·         Shelton’s Revised Budget Restores an Officer & Keeps Animal Shelter Open
·         Aunt, Cousin Guilty of Helping Cop Killer Clemmons
·         Bremerton Vandals Slash More Than 100 Tires
·         WikiLeaks Founder Assange Refused Bail by British Court
·         Rain Shadow Leaves Northeast Olympic Peninsula Drier
·         United Parcel Service to Require Photo Ids for Shipping Packages
·         Washington Healthier Than Most States

WORD OF THE DAY

Ear Candy • \EER-KAN-dee\ • noun - Music that is pleasing to listen to but lacks depth

Definition of “Ear Candy” – see Helen Reddy, and today’s song of the day.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

US Supreme Court Takes Global Warming Case That Targets Power Companies (Christian Science Monitor)

Portland General Electric Plan to Close Coal-Fired Boardman Power Plant by 2020 Could Set National Precedent (Oregonian, Portland)

Montana Senator Urges Long-Term Contract Between Columbia Falls Aluminum & Bonneville Power Administration (The Missoulian, MT)

Oregon - Eugene Water & Electric Board Faces Power Struggles: The utility is under contract to buy electricity it doesn’t yet need at prices much higher than market rate (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Monday Power Outage in San Juan Islands (Associated Press)

Montana - City of Great Falls Takes Steps to Unplug Electric City Power (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

City of Seattle Had No Inspection Records Before Dog’s Electrocution (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Op/Ed - We’re Not Ready to Absorb Electric Cars’ Shock to the Grid (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Energy Transmission - Money & Power: What’s Happening in the Back 40 & Why We Aren’t Paying a Dime (Whitworthian, Spokane, WA)

Indiana - E-Mail Scandal Topples Duke Energy’s James Turner - Quits over e-mails to regulator (Indianapolis Star, IN)

Los Angeles’ Green Strategy Could Come With Electricity Rate Increases (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Report Urges More Government Support for Nuclear Energy (Associated Press)

A Crystal Ball for Electricity - Major factors dominating the national electricity market are the recession…and the low price of natural gas (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Boat Strike Likely Killed Badly Injured Puget Sound Whale (KING-TV, Seattle)

Another 30 Percent Cut Recommended in Columbia Sturgeon Harvest (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Seattle’s Duwamish River: Should the Cleanup Make Fish Safe to Eat Regularly? (Crosscut Seattle)

Editorial - We Need Hatcheries; Until There Is a Better Alternative (The Daily Astorian, OR)

California ‘Salmon Summit’ over Decimated Species (SF Chronicle)

World Is Running Out of Places to Catch Wild Fish, Study Finds (Washington Post)

USDA to Provide $30 Million for Sage Grouse Protection (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Budget Cuts Threaten Commission Overseeing Columbia River Gorge (Bellingham Herald, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Angeles City Council Upholds Nippon’s Biomass Power Plant Shoreline Permit (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Foresters Say There’s Enough Biomass to Run Port Angeles Facility (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Alaska - New Wood Energy Project Keeps Tok School Warm (Fairbanks News Miner, AK)

Colorado - Local Groups to Study Feasibility of Biomass (Aspen Daily News, CO)

Snohomish PUD’s Tidal Energy Tests the Waters (Climate Central)

California - Wind Turbines to be Upgraded in Altamont Pass to Protect Birds (Associated Press)

Connecticut Residents See Massachusetts Wind Power Up Close (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

Wind Power Represented 40% of All New US Electric Generation Capacity (REVE)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Avista Engineer Says Flat-Screen TVs Can Affect Electric Bill (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Weatherproof Those Windows to Keep Cold Out, Bills Down (Consumerist)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Business Group Wants to Repeal 2008 Climate Legislation (Publicola)

Climate Change Worsens Alaskan Forest Fires (USA Today)

North Dakota Wants Minnesota Lawmakers to Repeal Carbon Regulations (Associated Press)

Farmers’ Carbon Credit Programs Fail Without Climate Bill (Associated Press)

Carbon Dioxide Storage Facilities Required to Report Greenhouse Gases (Courthouse News Service)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Tumwater Recycler May Stop Taking Crushed Glass (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Senators Push for Wi-Fi in All Federal Buildings - $15 million to offer Wi-Fi in 9,000 buildings (Broadband Reports)

Tumblr: Massive Outage Takes Down Blogging Site (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Fear to Feed Google Rankings? US Arrests Online Seller Who Scared Customers (NY Times)

FCC Net Neutrality Proposal Opens Door for Prioritization & Higher Fees for Consumers (Washington Post)

Why No One’s Happy With the FCC’s Net Neutrality (National Public Radio)

Google Opens E-Book Store in Challenge to Amazon (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Gregoire to Call Special Legislative Session to Cut Budget (Seattle Times)

Power of Washington State’s Attorney General to be Debated (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Wash. State Agency Lobbyists in Republican Crosshairs (Northwest Public Radio)

Pridemore to Chair Washington State Senate Committee (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Vancouver City Council Briefed on Lobbying Agenda - Projects city will seek federal funding for prompt questions (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Kilmer Named Vice Chairman of Washington State Senate Ways & Means Committee (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Flood Watch in Effect for Skokomish River (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Commission Adopts 2011 Budget on 2-1 Vote (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Shelton’s Revised Budget Restores an Officer & Keeps Animal Shelter Open (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Aunt, Cousin Guilty of Helping Cop Killer Clemmons - Half brother acquitted; associate convicted on gun charges (Olympian, WA)

Bremerton Vandals Slash More Than 100 Tires (Associated Press)

WikiLeaks Founder Assange Refused Bail by British Court (Reuters)

Rain Shadow Leaves Northeast Olympic Peninsula Drier (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

United Parcel Service to Require Photo Ids for Shipping Packages (Associated Press)

Washington Healthier Than Most States (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

DIVERSIONS

3 Oregon Deer Attack, Injure Barking Dog

Oops! WI Man Texts Wrong Number in Drug Sale - Boy, 10, Receives Text, Alerts State Trooper Grandfather

Stolen Giant Head of ESPN’s Lee Corso Recovered by Oregon State University Employee

Government checking 1.1B new $100 bills for flaws

SONG OF THE DAY

Helen Reddy - You’re My World